Santi Ramírez Curbelo excites with his proclamation of Las Nieves

With the reading of the proclamation by the young Santi Ramírez Curbelo, a native of the fishing village of Órzola, the festivities in honor of Our Lady of the Snows began, in her Sanctuary, located at the highest point of the Teguise mountain.

It was 7:30 PM when an event began that, from its first moments, hinted that it was not going to be just any afternoon. The Sanctuary was completely full, to the point that some people had to remain outside, next to the portico, to follow an event that aroused enormous interest and brought together numerous neighbors, family, and friends of the town crier.  

The event was presented by the titular parish priest of Teguise, Juan Manuel Molina, who had trusted Santi Ramírez Curbelo to open with his words such heartfelt festivities, deeply rooted in the religious tradition of Lanzarote. 

And what better town crier than a young man like Santi, a standard-bearer of our traditions, a lover of folklore and parrandas, with an unmistakable voice that allows him to interpret with special feeling from the most traditional pieces of Canarian folklore to a good ranchera.

Santi participates as a soloist in the Folklore Group Malpaís de La Corona and wherever a good parranda arises, his voice is never missing. However, when he received the invitation from the priest Juan Manuel Molina to proclaim the festivities of Our Lady of the Snows, his first response was a "no." Perhaps out of respect, perhaps out of responsibility, perhaps because he knew that standing before the image of the Virgin and addressing so many people implied much more than just saying a few words.

But he finally accepted.

And he did so because, in his own words, it was a great honor to become the town crier for such heartfelt and special festivities, celebrated in a place removed from the worldly noise of the city, in the tranquility and recollection of this mountain that, generation after generation, has been a meeting point for those who seek Our Lady of the Snows.

Santi then began to recount his memories. And among them appeared a particularly significant one: the first time he visited the Virgin, when he was barely about seven years old. From that moment on, the visits continued over the years, sometimes accompanied by family, other times with friends and neighbors.

But there were also times when the path to the mountain became a pilgrimage. From his hometown of Órzola, Santi walked alongside neighbors from Haría to meet Our Lady of the Snows. That path was not just a physical journey. It was also a way to reach the feet of the Virgin to ask for her protection, thank her for favors, and make the occasional request, especially for a sick family member.

These memories, told with the naturalness that characterizes the town crier, painted a very human, close, and heartfelt speech.

Santi shared anecdotes, experiences, and personal memories that drew numerous smiles and, at other times, deeply touched the hearts of those listening. The audience remained attentive at all times, following every word of a town crier who showed himself as he is: natural, spontaneous, and unpretentious.

By his side, accompanying him on such a special night, were his wife, Yazmina, and his little son Pablo, who remained sound asleep in his stroller while his father delivered a speech that will remain in memory.

Santi said his mission was not to win over the audience. However, the truth is that he succeeded.

His spontaneity, his confidence, and his way of telling things, unpretentious and from the heart, deeply resonated with the attendees. On several occasions, he had to interrupt his story because the audience's applause acknowledged words that had already found a place in the hearts of those present.

At the end of the speech, another emotional moment of the afternoon arrived. The parish priest Juan Manuel Molina presented Santi with a beautiful painting of Our Lady of the Snows and an inscription certifying his status as the town crier for this 2026 edition.

The mayor of Haría, Alfredo Villalba, also wanted to join in the recognition and presented him with a beautiful ceramic piece. For his part, the Councilor for Festivals and Culture of the Teguise City Council, Andoni Machín, gave him a wooden plaque carved with the image of the Virgin.

But the excitement had not ended. Immediately afterwards, some good friends and renowned lovers of folklore made their appearance: Sergio Tolosa, Oliver Martín, Alberto Betancort, Raúl Carballo, and Carlo Hernández, who, accompanied by their guitars, timple, and lute, offered a performance dedicated to the musical traditions of our land.

Las Folías, Isas, Seguidillas, and Malagueñas filled the interior of the Sanctuary with music. Each stanza seemed to become a prayer directed to Our Lady of the Snows. And the town crier himself, Santi Ramírez, also wanted to join in with his voice, once again demonstrating why his voice holds a special place within our parrandas and our folklore.

The performance was received with great applause and ended with the audience on their feet. And when it seemed that the night had already reached its peak, the final touch arrived.

The voices of the choir members of the Coral Polifónica Villa de Teguise, directed by Professor Nuvi Tavio García, brought a close to an unforgettable evening.

In a unique setting, next to the image of Our Lady of the Snows, those voices unfolded compositions of extraordinary beauty and sweetness. The discreet, elegant, and precise direction of their conductor managed to guide each performance with special sensitivity.

Each of the pieces was applauded at length. And rightly so.

Because that night, in that Sanctuary, music seemed to acquire another dimension. The voices of the choir members rose like prayers and, at times, it felt as if they were breaking through the roof of the Sanctuary to ascend to heaven, carrying with them the feelings, promises, memories, and hopes of all those who, in one way or another, had come to the feet of Our Lady of the Snows.

Thus concluded a night that is now part of the history of these festivities. A night in which traditions, faith, music, friendship, and memories went hand in hand in a place as special as the mountain of Teguise.

A night in which a young man from Órzola, Santi Ramírez Curbelo, had the honor of proclaiming the festivities and, with the simplicity of his words and the sincerity of his experiences, managed to move all those present. It was, without a doubt, an emotional, endearing, affectionate, human, and historic afternoon-evening. One of those that remain in memory. One of those that, over the years, someone will remember saying:

I was there, that night on the mountain of Teguise, when Santi Ramírez Curbelo proclaimed the festivals of Our Lady of Las Nieves and the Sanctuary was filled with memories, music, and prayers.

And perhaps that is the best way to start a festival: from the heart, from tradition, and from faith, at the feet of Our Lady of Las Nieves.